The House is set to vote on the Keystone XL pipeline as their first order of business in the new Congress — and this time the newly-elected Senate is expected to have enough votes to break the anti-energy filibuster led by liberals Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer, who is urging President Obama to stop the pipeline with a veto.
The merits of the project are well known, including over 40,000 jobs, more secure access to North American energy, and lower greenhouse gas emissions than the alternatives of moving oil to market by rail or tanker ships.
President Obama’s own jobs council famously advised: “Policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and timely development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects are necessary†— and yet this permit process has stalled now for a stunning six years.
The president himself said: “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward†— and then his own State Department, led by Hillary Clinton, concluded that all three “no action†scenarios would have significantly higher emissions than approving the pipeline.
Although oil prices have sharply declined recently, major infrastructure projects are for the long term, and backing off based on market conditions now would play directly into the hands of the Saudis and other OPEC producers who hope to use low prices to disrupt North American competitors so they can raise prices again later.
So what’s the problem? Why did Democrats go to such enormous lengths to block this project last Congress and why is the president even now considering a veto?
The principal opponent of the pipeline is San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, who made billions investing in fossil fuels abroad before becoming a crusading political activist opposing affordable energy in America — and heavily investing in taxpayer-subsidized green energy that competes with fossil fuels.
It was at an infamous fundraiser at his house nearly a year ago that he offered up to $100 million for Democratic candidates if they would block the pipeline. He largely made good on that promise, spending about $73 million, joined by a handful of like-minded donors but mostly from his own pockets.
In a 2013 talk at Berkeley, Steyer explained his obsession. “The biggest thing about Keystone is we have to make a change,†the biggest donor in American politics said.
“We have to make a decision to do something different… And if we do that, we’ll end up with a carbon tax or we’ll end up with some control of carbon. That’s a given,†Steyer said. “But the question is at what point do we decide we’ve had our Pearl Harbor moment?â€
Got that? Steyer believes that if he can stop a major infrastructure project against the weight of all facts and logic, his goal of a massive new energy tax becomes easy.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer lined up with Steyer’s “Pearl Harbor†for more expensive energy in a recent interview, in which he outlined a series of messaging amendments — mostly protectionist trade measures — that Democratic leaders would use to create excuses for their rank-and-file members to vote no.
When interviewer Bob Schieffer asked Schumer: “If these amendments pass, you would still urge the president to veto this legislation?†Schumer responded “Well, yes.â€
Are Democrats really willing to block billions of dollars of private investment and tens of thousands of union jobs on the hopes of future tax hikes and the wishes of a single mega-donor?
Let’s hope President Obama is willing to stand up to Steyer and sign the bill.
Copyright 2014 Phil Kerpen, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
Mr. Kerpen is the president of American Commitment and the author of “Democracy Denied.†Kerpen can be reached at phil@americancommitment.org.
Obama is not anti energy. That’s a total lie. He’s all for all kinds of energy not just coal or fossil fuels. That’s pro clean energy and that’s a good thing.
This pipe line will do more harm to the US than good. The oil is not US oil it’s Canadian Oil and it’s the dirties oil out there. Beside if the Saudi’s keep pumping oil and driving the price of oil down to below 30 dollars a barrel the people trying to extract oil out of the shale sands will be paying more to extract the oil than they can sell it for and will go bankrupt even if the Pipe Line is approved and built. It will be a pipeline across the US and not have any oil flowing though it.
Why should we let Canada destroy our US land and get all the money for any oil if any is ever shipped across our land to foreign soils. This oil will be sold on the World Market and not really have any impact on the US. Other than a few temporary construction jobs building the pipeline I see no reason to approve this disaster in the waiting. We don’t need this monster crossing thousands of acres of US soil.
The President better Veto any thing that the GOP passes to approve building a foreign pipe line on our soil. That’s why I voted for Obama. To stop environmental destruction and to help clean up the environment.
The oil is already coming here. The question is if trucks and trains are safer than a pipeline.
That’s exactly right EI, and if they build it all those rich fat cat sob’s wont be able to pollute the air with their trains and trucks plus they will not be able to profit from their greedy enterprises.
INDIANA ENOCH, you are an advocate of an energy independent USA that needs to import no oil from foreign countries like Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, right? Such an advocacy reinforces national security interests, right?
Because the Keystone Pipeline, a pipeline stretching across North America to seaports, is designed to export abundant America oil to other countries. Did you really think this was about reinforcing American independence from foreign oil? (The Keystone pipeline construction project is being sold that way…)
Shem, when it comes to oil the world is small and there is only one bucket. More oil in the world’s supply has a positive affect.
Indiana-Enoch…..Whoa! Wasn’t expecting that from YOU. Conservatives have always advocated of an energy independent United States, and your position is directly opposed to that. In fact, what you are advocating is that US National Corporations are in fact, state-less, multi-national companies with no allegiance to the United States. I respect the position on laizze-faire economic grounds, but I also expect to be called a fascist commie pig because by most US conservative historical standards and their vocal defense of US national security interests. What you are saying means Exxon Mobil, while demanding the US protect and defend their interests militarily (SONY expected to be defended from N. Korean attacks), Exxon could turn off the lights of America unless the US agrees to its price demands. (The way Russia uses oil resources as a weapon against Ukraine.)
Actually it only comes here to be processed and that’s just a small amount of it. The rest is being sold on the World Market. Did you forget to talk about the fact that it costs 75 dollars a barrel to get it out of the ground while the other oil is being dug up and processed for about $15/barrel. The Saudi’s can keep pumping oil and the newly resurrected oil boom in the USA and Canada will go broke. What do you say about that? huh?
I have a brother-in-law in the oil refinery business in LA. (I know, I know, but it’s true.) I asked him what he thought of the pipeline, and he told me they are already refining the oil. It’s not if we will have the oil but how we will receive it. It appears to me that USA and Canadian drilling had the good effect of lowering prices. If they go broke and prices rise again, then we will drill again and push prices back down. The Saudis are reacting to our drilling not controlling it.
YES HE IS ANTI ENERGY, he is also anti American. He is against us Americans in every way. He always chooses against America, and us Americans.
I think people voted for President Obama due to their lack of intellectual thought process. Thank you for proving my theory with your post.
DISAFFECTED, Your logic in preparing your comment is flawless. I always admire that.
By your logic, “Sometimes the moon is a bright light in the sky. The moon is actually a light bulb with a dimmer switch.”
I agree 100%..
I think your thinking is way out of wack.
EDITOR…
You must be more fair in presentation of articles. Your integrity is important, IS IT NOT?
1. This article does not mention the author. Who is the author? That’s important, right? How can you judge the context of this article w/out knowing that?
2. What is the source of the article?
a. Is it coming from the White House?
b. Is it coming from The Onion?
c. Is it coming from Politico?
d. Is it coming from the website of the national Republican Party? Or the Democratic Party?
All three have wildly different perspectives, right?
I mean, EDITOR is IN THE BUSINESS. You know this is important.
It turns out this article is written by Phil Kerpen. Phil is the author of “Democracy Denied: How Obama is Ignoring You and Bypassing Congress to Radically Transform America – and How to Stop Him.” He works for or has worked for 5-6 Tea Party backed organizations in the past four years.
No problem with that. EDITOR should let the reader know WHERE THE ARTICLE IS COMING FROM. Because the article is filled with, not facts, but all kinds puffery and propaganda….Editor is supposed to have SOME obligation to help the reader with CONTEXT.
Could you please point out the “puffery and propaganda” so I can develop a “perspective”.
Thanks.
Waiting on EDITOR. This has been a common problem with the CCO in the past – they post articles without showing the author or the source. This violates all kinds of journalism rules, and is NOT something you would find at a real news and journalism web site or source.
This behavior makes the City-County-Observer appropriately vulnerable to accusations the CCO is NOT a news and journalism site like the Courier & Press, but is instead the CCO is a simple OPINON BLOG – dime a dozen stuff.
That the CCO fails to mention the author or the source of this article, and several other independently written articles in the past, reinforces to the READER and the ADVERTISERS of the CCO…that you are not associating yourself with a news web site the competes with the Courier & Press. You are logging onto a BLOG.
Perhaps you need to worry more about your own integrity, or more to the point, if you have any.
…You know, disaffected, I thought perhaps you were just kind of ornery, or perhaps just angry about everything. They might still be true. But you don’t know what the word “integrity” means do you? How old are you?
Here’s the bottom line: The President will veto the Keystone XL debacle and it doesn’t look like Congress will be able to over ride it. Case closed.
The indigenous people of this continent will be devastated yet again if this thing is built. That, alone should be all it takes to just say “NO” to Keystone. We have $50/ barrel oil thanks to the Saudis deciding they’ll settle for less money to sell more product. Water at $50/barrel would be a really bad thing, but if we continue to endanger our major aquifers, we might live (however briefly) to see it.
Perfectly put. I think the president said yesterday he was going to veto it, as well he should. Dirty fossil fuel money funds the bought politicians who would vote to keep extracting until the planet is spent. That filthy tar sands product is some of the nastiest out there and also some of the most costly to produce. Moving it by rail cuts into the greedy extractor’s profit giving rise to an all out push for this ill-advised pipeline. The pipeline would provide around 50 permanent jobs once it is completed.
If the polluters can buy enough votes to override the coming veto it’ll still continue to be attacked in the courts. It’s things like Keystone that keep cleaner energy sources from becoming more affordable and mainstream.
The unsigned article at the top here with the cute cartoon is just playing to the choir. They’ll lap it up and continue to deny science and facts.
Addendum: if the Ghost says it’s 20 jobs, 20 it is. I like that better anyway.
Isn’t it odd how the far right tries to vilify Soros and Steyer, but worship at the feet of the Kochs and Sheldon Adelson? They seem to think that money loses its taint if it is used for promoting science denial and voter suppression.
Will the President’s veto last longer than Winnecke’s did?
I wouldn’t bet on it. They know it’s coming and the vote buying has likely already commenced. It might turn on how many votes they have to turn and what the price is. Big bribes are harder to hide, especially when they’re being watched.
Winnecke is a fool Trying to act mayoral doens’t become him. Putting his chicken suit on and flapping his wings is his longsuit.
doesn’t
So you are in favor maintaining the rail shipments ? I read the other day there may be enough votes in the Senate to override the veto.
Meant for LKB
Obama is being led by his nose on the Keystone issue.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/04/the-epic-hypocrisy-of-tom-steyer.php
Moving dirty Canadian oil over our country to ship to the Chinese while we absorb the pollution. Meanwhile, there are a few temp jobs from non tax paying immigrants and about 20 permanent jobs. Way to go, GOP.
Let’s be fair folks. The Keystone Pipeline project IS A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. The author of this article is biased, and works for the oil and gas industry, is hoping you won’t ask how many of the 42,000 jobs he is claiming will be added ARE PERMANENT?
This is a CONSTRUCTION PROJECT….it has a beginning, and an end. Some jobs last 2 months. Some last 1 year. Some last 2 years. That’s it.
I don’t want to say those jobs are not important, and there is no benefit….BUT THE AUTHOR IS HOPING YOU ASSUME 42,000 JOBS ARE PERMANENT. They are not. This is a construction project after all. The benefit of the jobs compared to other categories…..is overstated dramatically. But the author’s mode is to sell like a car salesman. (Yes, it is new. Oh, yeah, you are right. It was wrecked 6 months ago, but I want to sell this, so, I didn’t mention that pesky detail.)
Comparatively, In 2014, this happened (from USA Today in June, 2013):
— Chrysler will add more than 3,500 workers this year at factories in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan to make transmissions and to build Jeeps and Ram pickups.
— Ford expects to hire 2,200 salaried workers in information technology, product development and manufacturing. Plus the company is hiring 1,400 factory workers and recalling another 2,000 laid-off employees, in Michigan and Missouri.
— GM is hiring 4,000 engineers and computer professionals at four technical centers in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Texas to develop software and other innovations.
— Honda is adding at least 500 jobs this year at factories in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama as it moves more production to North America.
THAT is real jobs being added.
The Keystone Pipeline…….SOMETHING ELSE IS BEING SOLD HERE ALRIGHT.
So…..
COUNTRYBOY, AL-SHARPIE, JOE_BIDEN and POV…….listen up, cause you guys are being USED:
They want to build a pipeline across North America to seaports to ship American oil to foreign markets.
(And they are hoping you won’t ask if that is prohibited. Go ahead. Ask! Is is prohibited to sell the oil in the Keystone Pipeline to foreign markets? Ask!!)
This Congress would be better off funding the construction and reconstruction of roads and bridges in the country and putting real people to work for a long long time. But they fiddle around with silly go no where projects like this pipe line or trying to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
What are those people going to do when they move out there for a temp job and the money runs out? This is another red herring. Just like them trying to get rid of the Affordable Health Care Act. You people that only watch Fox noise might not know what that is. Maybe you should read it and find out.
We funded the road and bridge work with the Trillion $ stimulus. Pres. Obama used the money and those “shovel ready jobs” for that.
Don’t give’m a dose of actual reality, they won’t be able to handle it.
They don’t want to hear the truth. they won’t ask and if they ask it would be from Fixed Noise and they sure won’t get the truth from that group.
Moveon, you speak as if you think you know the “truth”,,,I beg to differ. The “truth” is an illusive thing, much more so when evil is riding hide and perversion is all about. I would postulate that it takes an open mind, a view of all sides, some logic and common sense to find the “truth”,,,,,,attributes you appear to lack.
1countryboy, I’m still trying to figure out if you advocate the Keystone Pipeline as a tool for US oil companies to sell American-drilled oil to foreign markets?
I’m all for progress, it seems to me that it would make for a safer more efficient way to transport the product.
COUNTRYBOY….Well that begs the question. Is that what you call progress? (And the original idea behind Keystone WAS NOT because railcar transport was unstable. That is a recent development seized upon by the advocates needing another talking point. The original advocacy was STRICTLY about helping America become “energy independent.” My point is, they’re gonna sell it to foreign countries. Everybody’s lying.)
“evil is riding high”,,,,,I know I typed that right ?
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